


Starting Over

by themysteriouslover



Category: RWBY
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-22
Updated: 2019-07-09
Packaged: 2019-11-03 21:50:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17885846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/themysteriouslover/pseuds/themysteriouslover
Summary: When a mission goes awry, nothing good ever happens.





	1. Accidents Happen

_It wasn’t supposed to be like this. It’s my fault._ Team RWBY had been asked to do a personal favor for General Ironwood which boiled down to a seek and destroy mission. Hordes of Grimm had been concentrating closer to towns and they needed them cleared out. Ironwood offered to send an officer with them, but upon hearing that officer would be Winter, Weiss promptly refused the help for the team. She hadn’t weighed the potential cost of eschewing someone who had years more training than the newly licensed team. Now they had walked directly into a Grimm nest unprepared. “This is my fault,” Weiss mumbles to herself casting another glyph to her teammates’ aid. The forest floor was slick with dew and the remaining droplets of a deluge. This made for slick muddy terrain near impossible to move around on. Ember Celica fires sharp cracks over to Weiss’s left, keeping a large Deathstalker at bay. Gambol Shroud to her right cutting Beowolves to pieces. But it’s Crescent Rose which catches Weiss’s attention. The large scythe cuts gracefully through a group of Ursa as Ruby uses her semblance to her absolute advantage. Grimm fall in a flurry of rose petals. Weiss couldn’t help but notice the way the early morning sun glinted off of Ruby’s silver eyes. How a streak of Grimm blood in her hair contrasted the vibrant red highlights. And just this once, Weiss let’s down her guard. Myrtenaster drops from its ready position to her side. Tunnel vision sets in. The swirling petals and faint scent of roses fills her head with something so absolutely foreign. Weiss, for the first time in a while, feels somewhat…

“Weiss! Look out!” 

She turns, yanked from her stupor, but is too late. Weiss sees the large ursa swinging for her head 

“Ahhh fu…”

The red in her head is replaced by black as she flies through the air and is rendered helpless, smashing into a tree.

* * *

Weiss feels her heart thumping in her chest. She struggles to open her eyes. They feel as if someone weighted them with lead. The wind whips across her face and colors streak by in a blur, mostly greens and browns. Ruby's strong arms held her close. She smells the roses and again her mind and vision are filled with red. Her arm is draped across Ruby’s neck, and she pulls herself tighter against her partner’s body.

“Hang in there, Weiss.”

This is the last thing Weiss hears before drifting back to the realm of unconsciousness.

* * *

Weiss jolts awake. Her hair is matted with sweat and blood. Her head is pounding, and she blinks away her blurry vision to assess her surroundings. Above her is the all too familiar green canvas of her and Ruby’s tent, but she looks to see the only thing inside is herself, a lamp, and, well, who else. Weiss slowly props herself up on her elbows, ignoring the pain shooting through her chest.

“Ruby, I…”

“Oh Weiss! You’re awake, thank god.”

Ruby moves from her position in the far corner of the tent towards where Weiss is situated. _Was she just watching me?_ Ruby sits down next to Weiss, and Weiss can’t help but notice the changes in her partner. Her face has sharpened out, her features are less childish. She sprouted in height, near that of her sister. But what really changed was her personality. Always the fun loving optimist, yet she maintained a sense of maturity now. No longer a gangly and immature child. Weiss is proud of how she grew. Weiss had grown too, no longer as uptight and afraid of failure. She was starting to distance herself from the negativity of the Schnee name. 

“You took a pretty hard hit.”

“Yeah, I can feel it,” Weiss says grimacing, dropping down onto her back. A splitting pain shoots down her spine.

“Where are we?”

“We backtracked to our base camp. We’re waiting for an airship.”

 _Shit. We lost all our progress. This is my fault._ Thoughts fly through Weiss’s head at the speed of light. She reaches out to grab any of them but her groggy and throbbing head can’t seem to keep a grip. She settles on reflex and asks a question:

“An airship? Why?”

Weiss feels a pit form in her stomach when Ruby turns away from her, tears glistening in her eyes. She comes to the terrifying realization: she still can’t feel her legs. Her face turns whiter than it has ever been. She looks at Ruby. 

“It’s bad this time, Weiss. Really bad.”

Ruby, the strong optimist of her team, can’t even look at Weiss, and she can tell by the way Ruby holds her head in her hands that her tears are flowing freely. Weiss has taken hard hits, some of the hardest of all team RWBY, but something must really be wrong.

“Ruby…”

Weiss musters weakly.

"Weiss, you've been unconscious for four days.”

“What?”

This information hits the poor girl like an Ursa. She lies wide eyed and stares at the canvas roof of the tent. She attempts to count the threads. She concentrates on her breathing, but nothing makes sense. She again attempts to sit up, but her whole body protests.

“Ruby…”

“It’s my fault,” Ruby says through sobs. Seeing Ruby like this stings Weiss’s heart. She wants to get up to comfort her. Tell her it’s not her fault. Tell her anything, but the mere thought of moving hurts. They must have her on string pain meds, to begin with; she is not going to make this worse. 

“It wasn’t your fault you dolt. I was just… distracted.”

Weiss didn’t know where she was going with the explanation, but the pain medication ruined her filter. A slight pink dances across her abnormally pale cheeks. Ruby turns to her, eyes puffy and red from crying. Weiss knows the next question asked would be one she could never answer truthfully, but before Ruby can open her mouth, the sound of an Atlesian airship fills the sky. The rustling of the tent flaps is cut off by Blake poking her head in. 

“Ruby the airship is here. We need to get ready to go.”

Ruby just nods. They both leave the tent, leaving Weiss alone and staring at the roof. Everything is so confusing. Her brain feels like it is surrounded by fog, and her body is just a wave pool of pain. The biggest problem was her emotions. They were getting the better of her as of late, so Weiss decides to do what she’s always done: put on a blank face and lock her feelings away in her cold and icy heart. 

Ruby and Blake return with a stretcher between them. Weiss notices the Atlesian symbol on the rough canvas. Blake kneels down next to you, Ruby still silent. 

“We’re going to have to lift you okay?”

Weiss just nods. Blake takes her numb legs and Ruby her torso. Again the smell of rose petals fills Weiss’s head. 

“One, two, three!”

This part hurts way more than Weiss anticipated. Her vision goes white as ever synapse in her brain screams. She is lost in a world of pain. Unable to see or feel anything, Weiss teeters on the brink of unconsciousness. The only thing keeping her grounded is the smell of roses. The delirium fades when they are finally aboard the large airship. Weiss can feel the pressure of a brace around her neck. The new dose of Atlesian painkillers prevents her from caring. 

Weiss sees Blake and Yang in one corner of the ship holding hands and whispering quietly. They aren’t trying to conceal their relationship anymore. Everyone really already knew anyway. A small twinge of jealousy shoots through Weiss’s mind. _I wish I had something like that._ Perhaps it was just the painkillers. Perhaps not. 

Weiss feels a warm hand fall on top of hers. Though she can’t see, she knows exactly whose hand it is. The palm is rough and calloused from years of handling Crescent Rose, yet the fingers remain soft.

“It’ll be okay, Weiss.”

Weiss tells herself its the painkillers making her feel warm and fuzzy. _Heart of ice, remember?_ The medical officer gives her a sedative, and as Weiss drifts into a welcome state of sleep, two things occur to her: one, Ruby’s eyes are such a beautiful shade of silver, and two, keeping her feelings locked away never seemed to work.


	2. A Visit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Weiss finds herself in a world of uncertainty.

Weiss wakes in a state of panicked confusion. She looks around to her surroundings. They are so white it’s blinding, but Weiss can tell exactly where she is. An Atlesian hospital. The bed is starchy and white. To her left a large bay window peers out into the gray Atlesian landscape. To her right, she can see the door which she was rolled through when unconscious. The windows out into the main hall are blocked by blinds. Beams of light cut through showing the dust particles listing through the air. The beeping and whirring of the medical equipment drown out Weiss’s drugged thoughts. The searing pain is gone, replaced by a constant throbbing pressure around her wounds. Weiss closes her eyes and drowns herself in thoughts. _How could this happen? How could I be so careless? Why did I let down my guard?_ Weiss grinds to a halt and stares blankly at the wall. She knows why, but her heart of ice has to remain intact. It has to. The creaking of the door snaps Weiss out of her introspective stupor. A tall man with salt and pepper hair looking at a clipboard steps into the room.

“Ms. Schnee, I am Dr. Armstrong. I am here to discuss your condition.”

_Finally, some answers._

“The extent of the damage was severe,” he flips through his charts, “You broke three ribs and received a concussion. Nothing new, I see, from looking at your medical history. What was concerning is the fracture of on your spine.” 

_Oh shit._

This is much worse than Weiss thought. Why didn’t her team tell her how bad it was? Weiss is strong. She could handle it. She could…

“Ms. Schnee, let me be frank. You could have died. You’re quite lucky to be alive.” 

Weiss is crying. She can’t help it. It's the overwhelming tide of emotions manifesting itself. It’s so hard to think of how a simple mistake could have gotten her killed.

“We were able to repair most of the damage, but,”  
_Oh god. If I can’t fight… I can’t go back to father like this._  
“Well, the damage was severe. You will need intense physical training to get back into fighting condition and regain use of your legs.” 

_No._

With these words, Weiss’s life spins into chaos. Everything she fought for, yearned for, ached for, was ruined in a second. All because of one mistake. All because of one little... _no, I refuse to believe this._

“I understand this must be hard for you, Ms. Schnee.”

How can he possibly understand? It’s all too much for the poor girl. She can barely see through the tears. She doesn’t try to control them. She can barely breathe.

“On a better note, you have visitors. Should I send them in?”

Weiss takes a deep breath.

“Give me a moment, please.”

“Of course, Ms. Schnee.”

He gives a curt nod and spins on his heel. Weiss can see the white of his lab coat slip through the door. Weiss sits there, attempting to empty her mind. She takes deep breaths, focusing on in and out. Weiss eventually can feel her tears cease. She rakes her fingers through her long white hair in an attempt to make it better kept. She uses her arms to rearrange herself into a more comfortable position and waits. 

The door cracks open sending a beam of fluorescent light to dance across the floor. Weiss expects her family to come gracefully striding in, and anticipates the inevitable screaming match which will ensue. 

“Weiss?”

The tension in Weiss’s body all but melts away. The sound of Blake’s voice echoes in her mind. The tone is warm, a direct contrast to her father's cold metallic inflection. 

“Hey,” Weiss croaks out. She does not understand how her throat could be this unbelievably dry. The rest of the team shuffles into the cold, sterile room. Ruby walks right over and stands next to her bed. She’s been chewing on her lip. Blake and Yang stand farther back. “Heya Weiss, how are you feeling?” Yang asks, attempting to cut the tension in the air. Her arm snakes around Blake’s waist. Blake’s ears perk up at the touch. Her eyes drift down, and she steps closer to Yang. Again green jealousy fills Weiss. She shakes the thought from her head.

“Terrible.”

The Schnee tone falls out of her voice. She is trying so hard to be strong, but she can’t be as strong as she wants to be now. Tears are gliding down her face. Ruby suddenly takes her hand. The touch she had memorized the night of the accident. It is still the same, and still so welcomed. 

“Weiss, it will be okay. The doctor says that you will make a full recovery.”

 

“It’s not that...I failed.”

“You didn’t fail, you got injured,” Blake interjects. Always the voice of reason. Yang tightens her grip around the faunus’ waist. Weiss looks down at her legs, lost in thought. Blake was of course right. Weiss was injured and couldn’t help it. But maybe if she hadn’t looked over at Ruby. Maybe if the swirl of petals wasn’t totally distracting. Maybe if the way she moved was less graceful. Weiss’s eyes drift to the hand on hers.

A loud bang shakes the room. The atmosphere changes completely as Winter storms in. Ruby yanks her hand away from Weiss and steps away from the bed. Yang unravels her arm from Blake and steps away from her. Blake’s ears flatten. Weiss’s body grows tense.

_She is so pissed._

The air is filled with a calm uncertainty as Winter stalks over to Weiss’s side. Weiss can immediately see something different in her sister’s eyes. The storm in them has calmed. She looks afraid, sad, and angry. Her cold hand takes the place of Ruby’s. 

“I can’t believe you convinced me not to come. This is all my fault. I’m sorry Weiss.”

Winter’s hand tightens around Weiss. The rest of team RWBY shifts their weight awkwardly, feeling intrusive. Weiss is at a complete loss for words. She fully expected Winter to chide her for forcing her not to come, for being careless, for failing a mission.

“Winter, this isn’t your fault.” 

“Weiss, I’m doing this for you.”

There it is. The Winter Weiss knows. The other girls seem to resent this statement, but Weiss knows Winter best. She doesn’t really mean it, but she also does in her own sort of way. 

“Thank you, Winter.”

Winter removes her hand and stands silently for a moment. She turns and Weiss’s teammates part like the sea for her. While she stands in the doorway, Winter turns back to Weiss warily. 

“Father sends his best wishes. He apologizes for not being here. He’s...busy.”

“Of course.”

The door slams and team RWBY releases a collective sigh of relief. The room resets to its relaxed feeling. Ruby is the first to speak.

“I’m sorry your dad can’t make it.”

Her warm hand again finds it on top of Weiss’s. She could get used to this feeling. 

_No, stop. You can’t._

“I’m glad he’s not coming.”

Blake and Yang exchange uneasy glances. Yang has her arm around Blake again. Blake seems content with her touch. A nurse pokes her head in the room and announces visiting hours are over. Blake and Yang leave the room together, whispering about something, but Ruby lingers.

“If you need anything just call me. I want to help you through this.”

And with that, Weiss is alone. This is going to be hard. At least now Weiss knows Ruby will be there for her, and for some reason, she feels almost excited.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, it took me a while to update. This chapter is kind of short. The next will definitely be longer. I hope you enjoyed.


	3. Hard Times

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Weiss starts physical therapy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *DISCLAIMER*   
> I have no idea what physical therapy is like or what kind of therapy would entail from injuries like Weiss's. I don't know anything medical. If anything is terribly inaccurate I will try my best to fix it. Feedback is always appreciated.

Sweat glistens across Weiss’s forehead. She never admits this is the hardest thing she’s ever done in her whole life. It’s now been a few months since the fateful RWBY mission. Weiss spent that time completely healing, save her legs. Light physical therapy kept her muscles from atrophying, and every week she called Ruby. Ruby never answered, and when she did her replies were short. The team had been called to finish missions with a fill-in team member. That somehow made Weiss angrier and more motivated to recover. The thought of someone else with her team, with Ruby, made her boil with anger, so she worked hard. She was able to move her feet by the first three days. She felt foolish being unable to perform the simple task, but her doctors assured her it was normal to struggle at first. Her legs took a little longer. Five days and she could move her legs on her own. Now with full leg functionality, she needed to relearn how to walk. It’s harder than she thought. It’s been three days since she’s started and the farthest she’s gone is half a step. Now, clinging to the railing on the wall of the physical therapy gym, Weiss curses under her breath. “Come on Schnee. Take a step. Do you even want your license back?” Weiss’s physical therapist, Myra, says. Myra is an older woman, rough around the edges, but she is the best an most experienced physical therapist in Atlas. She gets results. But Weiss doesn’t care about that right now. She just growls as her legs shake beneath her. Weiss closes her eyes and strains to move her leg forward. She starts to move forward and transfer her weight, but she collapses. Myra rushes over to help the fragile girl up. 

“Okay, why don’t we take a breather? Get some water.”

Weiss just nods breathlessly as Myra helps her into a wheelchair. That’s one thing Weiss particularly hates. Myra insists that Weiss use the wheelchair in the physical therapy building. It makes Weiss feel more broken and helpless. Even the crutches she normally uses have the same effect, although to a lesser extent. Weiss hates the feeling the most when someone pushes her. She can move herself, but today Weiss is grateful for Myra’s assistance. Myra pushes her into the locker room as Weiss focuses on her breathing. 

“Do you need any further assistance?”

Weiss just puts her hand up to signal she does not. 

“Okay, if you need anything, just call.”

 

Weiss rolls herself into the locker room. Rows and rows of white metal lockers line the expansive room. Weiss finds her locker and opens it. Number six forty-two. Her soft cotton tee-shirt is soaked through with sweat. A loud bang reverberates through the lockers when Weiss punches the door to her locker. She pulls herself together and quells her angry thoughts. Her fist is now throbbing. _Nice going, idiot._ She unlocks the slightly dented door. She knew it would be hard, but not this hard. Becoming a huntress was easier. She just sighs and pulls on her spare shirt. She reaches for her water bottle and finds it emptier than a bottle of cheap booze in Vacuo. She groans and tosses the bottle in her lap. She makes her way to the water fountain outside the locker room in the lobby. The lobby was lavishly furnished, as to be expected from a reputable Atlesian establishment. White chairs circled a glass coffee table littered with assorted magazines. A high tech bubble lantern hangs from the ceiling, offering some light in the dim Atlesian day. The lobby was bustling with people of all ages. This was another thing Weiss absolutely hated. The eyes that seemed to follow everything she did. Weiss could hear what they were thinking. A Schee, crippled, a fascinating sight indeed. Weiss wanted to scream at them. Command them to look away. But in reality, all she could do is ignore them and continue with her life. She starts to fill her bottle with water when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Weiss stiffens when she feels a hand on her shoulder. Myra usually doesn’t touch her without permission, and if its a stranger they soon won’t have hands. 

“Hey, Weiss.”

Her mind goes completely numb. Words refuse to leave her mouth, so tears spring out of her eyes instead. Tears of anger, sadness, and frustration. The smell of roses fills her head as Ruby kneels down beside her to be at eye level. _How is it even possible that she’s gotten taller?_

“Weiss, are you okay?”

How could she be okay? Ruby sees her tears and looks around nervously.

“Should we go somewhere more, uh, private?”

Weiss composes herself and nods, thinking of all the things she could say. She is on the verge of a full-on breakdown. Ruby stands to the side awkwardly, unsure of where to go. Weiss wheels herself at a brisk speed through the halls and Ruby follows wordlessly. Weiss exits the building into a quiet courtyard. There are a few picnic tables and awnings. The scent of numerous species of flowers fills the air. Ruby can’t help but wonder how flowers could even grow in Atlas. Weiss stares blankly into space. Ruby shifts her weight and fidgets awkwardly. 

“So…”

“It’s good to see you, Ruby.”

Weiss can feel the tears behind her eyes begging to fall, but she refuses to be weak again.

“I really missed you.”

Ruby is unsure what to do at this point. She glances around nervously. She resolves to place her hand on Weiss’s shoulder. 

“I’ve missed you too. How have you been?”

“Not good, to be honest.”

“Oh.”

Weiss can feel as Ruby squeezes her shoulder tighter. 

“I’m… sorry I couldn’t be here earlier,” Ruby chooses her words carefully, she knows she’s been putting Weiss off. Life had been in the way until late. Missions and Grimm, always in the way. 

Weiss searches those words for some hidden meaning, but she finds none. She looks deep into her soul to find some sense of anger. _She said she’d be here right? She said anytime. _All the rejected calls and curt responses. Weiss searches for any resentment or bitterness she can channel, but she comes up empty. She can’t be mad.__

“I’m just happy you’re here now.”

Ruby kneels again, and Weiss has never felt shorter. Ruby is unsure of what to say, evident by her fists clenching and unclenching, so Weiss relies on an age-old form of communication. Weiss pulls her into a hug. From an outside perspective, it’s hard to tell who is consoling whom. 

“Mhmm..”

Ruby straightens up and looks over at the doorway startled. Myra is standing in the courtyard doorway looking a little agitated. 

“Ms. Schnee, we are well over five minutes.”

Weiss glances up with a quick nod.

“Of course. Ruby, this is my physical therapist Myra. Myra this is Ruby Rose my… partner.”

Ruby waves to the woman in the doorway. Myra returns an affable nod in her direction. 

“Well, Ms. Rose, Ms. Schnee and I must return to the gym. You may join us if you’d like. 

With that, Myra turns on her heel and retreats within the building. The door slams behind her.

“She seems… nice?”

“She’s the best in all of Remnant.”

Ruby walks over to the door and holds it open for Weiss.

“We’ll see.”

* * *

And now they were back at a familiar scene. Weiss clinging to the railing on the wall, struggling to stay upright, and Myra yelling at her to do better. Although now, Ruby looks on with concern for her teammate. 

“Come on now, Weiss. You’ve got an audience. Time to shine.”

Weiss ignores the sarcastic tone in Myra’s voice and instead concentrates on her breathing. She drowns all the sound around her. She breathes. She drowns the frantic signals sparking from her legs. She looks at Ruby and her face is still bright as day. “Come on Weiss,” she whispers barely audible, but Weiss hears. So she summons all her strength, and she takes a step. 

One. 

She shakes as she pulls her leg forward. How could something she used to do so easily become so hard?

Two.

_This is for Ruby. Do it for Ruby. Make her see._

Three.

Weiss can see Ruby’s face. The pure unfiltered support it shows. It feels like she is holding Weiss up with her gaze.

_Four. Come on. Four._

Weiss can feel the sweat dripping off her face. Four isn’t attainable today, so Weiss just collapse into a sweating, panting heap. Her vision is blurred from sweat, but she can feel two people helping her up. Her state of disorientation is furthered by the recognizable touch of Ruby’s hands on her arms. 

“You did very well today, Ms. Schnee.” Myra’s words echo around Weiss’s head. “Ms. Rose, I trust you can help her to the locker room. Down the hall and to the left.”

Weiss sits dazed in the wheelchair. She doesn’t oppose to Ruby pushing this time. Ruby places Weiss’s water bottle gently in her hands. She thanks her by drinking it all in a few gulps. Weiss slowly comes backs to herself as Ruby pushes her into the locker room. 

“Locker six forty-two on the left.”

Ruby looks around for the aforementioned locker in the sea of identical copies. 

“It’s the one with the dent in it.”

Ruby is immediately concerned by the comment. She frantically examines Weiss’s body and quickly located her injured hand.

“What happened?” Ruby asks with concern in her voice.

“I punched it.”

“Does it hurt? Your hand.”

“Not really.”

“Oh, okay.”

Ruby wheels Weiss over to her locker, visibly reassured that Weiss wasn’t deliberately hurt. 

“Can you handle yourself from here?”

“Yes, thank you.”

 

Ruby places her hand on Weiss’s shoulder once again. 

“Amazing job today.”

And with that, Weiss is alone again.

* * *

Ruby exits the locker room quietly and is startled by Myra standing in front of her. 

“Ms. Rose, would you kindly follow me?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I'm sorry it took so long to update. School has been wild. I hope you enjoyed :) Again feedback of any kind is appreciated.


	4. New Information

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New information is revealed, and it brings along confusion for all parties involved.

Thoughts scream through Ruby’s head. Is she in trouble? Was she not supposed to be here.? Did Weiss not want her here? Ruby knew she broke her promise. Weiss’s calls were ignored and answered with short responses. Ruby hated what she had to do to Weiss, but she was afraid. Afraid that Weiss would be mad at her. Afraid that seeing Weiss injured would make her realize how truly dangerous the work she and her friends were in. She was so afraid of Weiss ending up like Yang. Burned out and cold. Wasting away and sulking due to her injury. She was happy to see that wasn’t the case, but it made her regret her decisions more and feel worse. 

“Ms. Rose, please come with me,” Myra reiterated. 

“Why?”

“I’ll explain everything soon.”

Ruby nodded and followed the trainer to her office. It is stark. The color palette white and grey with modern looking furniture. The pinnacle of Atlesian decorating. 

“Take a seat while I retrieve our other guest,” Myra says gesturing to one of the boxy looking chairs. Ruby thanks Myra and sits down. The office sends bad memories flooding to the surface. She had been in a few Atlesian hospitals before. Her most recent visit was with Yang for an arm tune up and that just resulted in negative feelings. That just makes Ruby think of all the ways her team has been hurt and how she could have helped them. How it’s her fault for most of the problems. She wallows in her memories until the door swinging open yanks her back into reality. Myra enters the room with a taller woman. She is composed and stern, dressed in the finest Atlesian military uniform with a rapier hanging at her side. Winter. Ruby jumps out of her chair on instinct. Winter had reamed her numerous times before for not standing out of respect. 

“Will you two please sit?”

Myra gestures at both of them as she takes a seat behind her desk. Ruby can pick up how Winter is slightly confused, but she is very good at hiding it. 

“You both are here because you are listed as Weiss’s contacts in her medical file.”

 

Winter and Ruby exchange subtle sidelong glances at each other. This can’t be good. Myra straightens out some files on her desk.

“I’m just going to get straight to the point. Weiss isn’t progressing as well as she should be. She is still struggling to stand on her own. Her doctors and I think the damage could be more severe than we initially thought. We want her in for another MRI. I’ve scheduled one today over at Light Venture Hospital. If you two go over with her I believe it will help her mood. She never liked going to the hospital.”

Ruby and Winter sit in shocked silence. Ruby stares at her hands, they seem red to her. She notices Winter’s hand tremble slightly. She clasps her hands together and speaks with a tone as clear as glass: 

“I can take us over there.”

“The MRI is scheduled an hour from now. If you leave in the next, say, fifteen minutes, you’ll have plenty of time to make it there.”

Winter nods and stands, staring blankly ahead.

“Come, Ruby.”

Ruby blinks and the red tinge to her hands disappear. She jerks to her feet, following Winter out the door. They see Weiss sitting in the lobby, the wheelchair exchanged for her crutches. She catches sight of Winter and her face absolutely lights up. Ruby can tell how excited she is to see her sister, but the truth was in her eyes. They were filled with confusion. Winter clearly had only visited at specific times. Today must not be on the schedule. Weiss struggles to stand to greet her sister as she approaches. 

“Weiss, for the love of dust, sit down,” Winter commands.

Weiss complies rather sheepishly. Winter sits as well, but Ruby stands off to the side. She doesn’t want to ruin the moment.

“I heard you made progress in your recovery today.”

“I did.”

“Congratulations,” Winter says placing her hand Weiss’s shoulder.

“Thank you.”

Ruby can see the pure excitement flowing through Weiss’s body. Winter was always someone who cared about Weiss, and Weiss loved her for caring, unlike the rest of her family. Winter glances at her watch.

“Well, we have an appointment to get to.”

Weiss tilts her head quizzically.

“Just a quick MRI to check your healing progress.”

Weiss’s hand twitches, something, Ruby guesses, the sisters have in common. Weiss can tell something is amiss.

“Okay, I’ll call Klein and ask him to pick me up.”

“No, I’ll drive.”

Weiss knows better than to ask why. Winter stands and starts to walk towards the door. Only halfway to the door does she remember Weiss’s condition. She turns to see her struggling to stand. Ruby is helping her with her crutches. Ruby knows how much Weiss hates this. She hates being helpless. Winter helps her finally get to her feet, and she grumbles her thanks. Winter and Ruby slow their walking paces so Weiss can keep up with them. 

“Wait here,” Winter states walking out into the parking lot somewhere leaving Ruby and Weiss alone. 

“Ruby?”

Ruby knows this tone. It’s the equivalent of Ruby’s patented puppy dog eyes she uses on Yang to get extra cookies. Ruby knows Weiss is using this tactic on her because it won’t work on Winter. 

“Why do I have to get another MRI?”

_Why does she do this to me?_ Ruby stares at her feet. 

Before Weiss can ask again and before Ruby can answer, a sleek black car with tinted windows pulls up to the curb. Winter steps out of the driver’s seat and opens the passenger side door for Weiss. She slides into the leather seat giving her crutches to Ruby to store with her in the back. 

 

“Do you want the radio?” Winter asks Weiss.  
“No, thank you.”

* * *

The hospital is tall and foreboding. Its light exterior trying to hide the pain and suffering housed inside, but hope still radiates from inside. The lives saved and made better by Atlesian medicine. Ruby prays that their visit will be the hopeful kind. 

Winter maneuvers the car around the tight turns into the underground parking deck. After circling the deck and traversing lower underground Winter finds a spot by the elevator. She parks the car and gets out to help Weiss up. Ruby clambers out and offers to help Weiss, who politely rejects. Winter sets the pace for their walk, taking the lead. Weiss moves behind her with Ruby taking the rear. Ruby can’t help but stare at Weiss’s legs. The once strong limbs that were laden with muscle now look weak and sick. 

_Weiss will be fine, right? We’re all worried about nothing. She’s doing so well. She made lots of progress today, right? This is my fault._

The group enters a small, cramped elevator. The upward lurching of the elevator car causes Weiss to fall, and Ruby rushes to catch her. Time slows when Ruby feels Weiss’s delicate frame fall in her arms. 

“Dropping in?” Ruby giggles.

“Shut up you dolt. You’re worse than your sister,” Weiss replies, slightly giggling and turning the color of Ruby’s cloak. 

Ruby catches Weiss’s gaze, and she can’t help but notice how blue Weiss’s eyes are in the pale, artificial light. She can’t believe how light Weiss is, and yet she can feel the defined muscles of her back. Weiss hasn’t been skipping on her exercising out of therapy. Winter clears her throat quite audibly. Ruby quickly straightens Weiss out and gets her on her feet. Weiss pretends to cough to conceal her still red face. The elevator doors open into the busy lobby of the hospital. Its design is similar to both Myra’s office and the physical therapy gym lounge. It’s white, sterile, and modern. 

“I’ll sign you in. Go sit,” Winter says gesturing towards a cluster of chairs. Ruby scans the glass table in the center of the chairs and finds a weapons magazine she’s satisfied with. She can see Weiss staring at her from over the top of the magazine. A small smirk dances across her lips. Ruby loves it. 

Winter returns with a nurse who is rolling a wheelchair. Weiss sighs. The nurse is insistent on helping Weiss into the chair despite her numerous protests. 

“Please stay here,” the nurse says to Winter and Ruby. Winter nods and sits in the chair across from Ruby. She pulls out her scroll. Ruby glances over the top of her magazine just in time to see the doors of the elevator close in front of Weiss. She looks terrified. Worry immediately fills Ruby’s stomach. She has to do something. Ruby folds the magazine and starts to stand but is interrupted by Winter.

“I wouldn’t try. Believe me, I have.”

Ruby just looks at the elevator again and sits down in a huff. 

“She just looks so scared.”

“I know, but it’s just a little claustrophobia. She’ll be fine.”

“Whatever you say.”

Ruby can’t stand to see her partner so terrified.

* * *

Weiss hates the MRI so much. It’s like a coffin but worse. She’s stripped down to a thin cotton gown and nothing else. Strapped into a tight space while loud noises fill her brain is not the ideal place for a Schnee. Or anyone in fact. Even the mere thought of having metal on her is enough to make her nauseous. That’s the thing with a spinal injury, you have to do the MRI’s. 

“All comfortable, Ms. Schnee?”

The technician asks through the microphone. 

“Could anyone be comfortable in this?”

The technician laughs and starts the machine.

“Don’t move or talk, you know the drill.”

_I sure do._

The loud clicking and whirring scream in Weiss’s head. She closes her eyes and tries to block the sound. She sings in her head. She tries to go through attack strategies, dust marketing, Mixolydian scales, anything, but none of it works. She feels the panic start to set in. 

_Focus on your breathing, Schnee._

Weiss breathes in, counting the seconds as she does. She tries to think of anything remotely distracting. And she does. She thinks about Ruby. Her hair, how it’s gotten so much longer since they had last seen each other. Her body, she’s really grown into it since Beacon. Her smile, how seeing it again was enough to make Weiss feel like her life had been renewed, and the fire that burned within rekindled and stoked to a roaring flame which melted the ice in her heart. Everything Weiss saw in Ruby then has been amplified to the extreme now. Her brain traveling at a thousand miles per hour thinking of all the ways she’s ever seen, thought or felt about Ruby, and she finally admits to herself something she should have admitted on that Atlesian airship. 

Weiss Schnee is in love. 

It’s too much. The machine comes whirring back into her head louder than ever before, but now the noise is mixed with her thoughts. She is pretty sure she’s hyperventilating and crying. She feels blood begin to trickle out of her nose. 

_Too. Much._

Then everything goes black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's wild how if I just sit down and write I actually finish faster. Well, I sure do hope you enjoyed this chapter.


	5. A New Residence

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby moves to a more permanent Atlas residence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I'm back. I know it's been a while and for that, I apologize. Life sometimes gets in the way of these things. Well, the school year is starting to end so I hope updates come more frequently.

Weiss wakes to see nurses standing around her. “You are fine. Just breathe,” one of the nurses says handing a glass of water to Weiss. 

“Wha- what happened?”

 

“You had a panic attacked. Blacked out for a bit there.”

Weiss groans. This means she has to go back in the machine, right?

“We got all the necessary imaging though,” the MRI technician pipes up.

_Oh thank god._

“Are you okay for us to take you back to the lobby?”

“Yes.”

* * *

The nurse returns with Weiss to the waiting room. She is antsy, no doubt from the events that unfolded prior. 

“The results should be ready tomorrow. We’ll send them over to Myra for you.”

The nurse talks primarily to Winter, seemingly avoiding Ruby like she doesn’t think Ruby would understand, but Ruby doesn’t seem to notice. Weiss gazes vacantly in Ruby’s direction while Winter talks quietly with the nurse. After some agreements have seemingly been made, Winter helps Weiss out of the wheelchair and hands her the crutches. The group returns to the car in silence.

“Ruby, do you need to return to the physical therapy office?” Winter asks amicably. 

“No, it’s okay. I can hail another cab.”

“Where are you staying?” Weiss interjects. 

Ruby rattles off some address, and Weiss recognizes it immediately. 

“Wait, that’s my building.”

Ruby looks like she got the wind knocked clear out of her lungs. Her skin turns a greenish color. 

“I-I’m sorry! I di-didn’t know!” She stammers, visibly shrinking into herself. 

_That’s a weird reaction_

Weiss sighs.

“You could have just asked to stay with me. Dust knows I have enough room.”

“Wait really?”

Ruby peers at Weiss quizzically with her shining silver eyes. The light of the day glints off of them. 

“Uggh, of course, you dolt.”

Weiss scoffs with a toss of her head. 

“I’ll drop you both of then,” Winter comments. She seems indifferent to the whole debacle, but from the way she tilts her head, Weiss can see she finds it interesting. The car rolls out of the parking garage and into the dark streets of Atlas.

* * *

Weiss says her final goodbyes as Winter pulls away, leaving Ruby and Weiss standing in the cold. It starts to snow. 

“Well come on!” Weiss says moving towards the entrance. She scans her scroll on the console near the door. A warm blast of heat hits the girls in the face. Weiss deftly maneuvers her way to the elevator. Her slender finger jams the call button into the wall. The elevator dings and the doors open. Weiss steps in and Ruby follows behind. 

“What floor are you on?”

“One.”

 

Weiss smashes the button for the first floor. “Are you okay? You’ve been kind of on edge since the hospital,” Ruby remarks placing her hand on Weiss’s shoulder. She immediately tenses. “Wha-?! Oh, I’m actually perfectly fine. I’m great!” she stammers frantically while pulling away from Ruby. “Oh, okay.” Luckily the ride up one floor is short.

Ruby seems relieved to step out of the elevator. She stumbles over to the door on the girls’ immediate right. Weiss almost giggles but stops herself. Ruby scans her scroll and the door unlocks. The apartment is dark and depressingly empty. Ruby’s suitcase lies open on the bed, its contents thrown around haphazardly. 

“I found this room on that one website. It was in my budget range, and I thought it was close but not this close-”

“Ruby, stop rambling and get your things.”

 

“Aye-aye Ice Queen!” Ruby says with a mocking salute. Desperately ignoring the pink tinge on her cheeks, Weiss smiles and rolls her eyes. She watches intently as Ruby zips around shoving things into her suitcase. The room ends up looking more of a mess than when it started. Her suitcase looks like it is about to explode. Ruby clearly has no idea how to properly pack a suitcase. “Alright, I'm all ready!” Ruby beams at Weiss. Weiss sees Crescent Rosee still laying on the bed.

“Forgetting something?”

“Wha- CRESCENT ROSE!”

Ruby rushes back into the room in a whirlwind of petals. 

“How could I forget you?”

Ruby is cradling the scythe and the whispering to it. It’s strange of her to forget her most prized possession. She must be distracted by something.

“Are you ready to go now?”

Ruby nods, still stroking her weapon. Weiss rolls her eyes and starts to hobble back to the elevator. The thick hallway carpet is her enemy as it makes it harder to use her crutches. 

“Which floor are you on, Weiss?”

She doesn’t say, but pulls out her scroll and scans it in the elevator. The elevator lurches upward. 

“I’m in the penthouse suite. Not just anyone can go up.”

Weiss can see a sparkle in Ruby’s eye. 

“So I’m not just anyone?”  
  
“Shut up, dolt!”

Weiss hides her flushing face. The elevator slows and the doors open. Ruby’s jaw hits the floor. The apartment is extremely elaborate. The foyer is trimmed with gold molding and the ground is made of intricate marble patterns. A large crystal chandelier casts light throughout the room. A high tech kitchen sits off to the right and a lush sitting area just beyond the foyer. A staircase to the left leads to the second floor, which is a balcony with doors facing the entrance. 

“Whoa,” is all Ruby can say.

“Don’t you think this is a little much?”

“Not at all.”

* * *

The sound of Weiss’s crutches echoes of the marble floors.

“The guest bedroom is upstairs, third door.”

Weiss crutches into the kitchen and the telltale sounds and smells of her making coffee fill the apartment. Ruby cautiously steps into the foyer. She feels that if she makes a loud noise everything in the apartment would shatter. She carefully lugs her suitcase up the stairs. The guest bedroom is as lavish as the rest of the apartment. A queen size bed with plush sheets sits in the center of the room. A sturdy mahogany desk rests in the corner, and a dresser with a tv on top stands opposite of the bed. Ruby dumps her overstuffed suitcase on the bed. She starts down the stairs. This is definitely going to be different.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And they were roommates. Thank you so much for reading. Please tell me of any errors because proofreading is not my forte.


	6. Results

Ruby wakes in a cold sweat despite her room being as frigid as the air outside. She is shaking in her sheets. Another nightmare plagues her sleep. Visions of her teammates falling, her teammates hurt. Blake hurt. Weiss hurt. Yang Hurt. 

_Fuck_

Weiss could actually be hurt. Ruby hang’s her head in her hands.

_This is all my fault._

She glances at the clock beside the bed. Today is when the MRI results get sent in. Weiss’s whole future rests in a folder lying in a therapist’s inbox. Ruby is terrified. She can’t begin to imagine how Weiss is feeling. Ruby rubs her eyes and sighs. 

_Oh right, she doesn’t know._

The clock reads 8:45. The rustling of bedsheets is accompanied by the inevitable sounds of Ruby hitting her leg on something. She mumbles a few curses under her breath. Her feet sink into the plush carpet. Sleep still clouding her eyed, Ruby fumbles with the doorknob. She hopes she isn’t too loud. The doors opens noiselessly because Weiss probably oiled all the hinges recently. Ruby can smell the tell-tale sign of Weiss being awake: coffee. Ruby plods down the stairs, rubbing her weary eyes. Weiss is already wide awake and in the kitchen. She nibbles on a bagel and sips coffee while reading a dust report. She is already dressed for the day in a pressed sky blue button up tucked neatly into a jet black skirt. Her hair is done up into a ponytail that cascades down her shoulders. She almost looks normal, except for the crutches leaning up against the counter. Ruby’s mouth goes dry. She can’t stand knowing while Weiss doesn’t. 

“Hey, Weiss.”

She glances up and immediately shields her eyes, a visible red darting across her face.

“Ruby! For dust’s sake put a bra on!”

Ruby looks down, forgetting she what she wore to bed. Her tank top covered only as much as needed and her shorts aren’t much better. Realizing this isn’t the best way to start her tenure at Chez Schnee Ruby dashes back upstairs only mildly panicked. She forgot she wasn’t 12 anymore. After Beacon fell it was hard to really have boundaries, but now that things are semi back to normal, Ruby has no excuse. She finds something more appropriate to wear and heads back downstairs feeling a little embarrassed. She sees Weiss cover her eyes.  
“Please tell me you're decent.”

“Yes.”

Weiss uncovers her eyes and looks Ruby up and down with a subtle look in her eyes Ruby can’t quite place. 

“Are you hungry?”

“Just a bit.”

Ruby’s growling stomach betrays her. Weiss rolls her eyes.

“Dolt. I keep a box of Pumpkin Pete’s in that cabinet over there. I know they’re your favorite.”

“I thought you hated Pumpkin Pete’s.”

“I do. I just keep it for guests.”

“Sure.”

Weiss glares at Ruby and Ruby sticks her tongue out at Weiss. Her eyes flick away. She looks back to the report. Ruby helps herself to a heaping bowl of cereal and plops down next to Weiss. 

“What arw you wreadink?”

“Ruby, chew your food.”

“What are you reading?”

“A journal about medical uses for dust.”

“Is it interesting.”

Weiss looks over the report at Ruby.

“If it wasn’t interesting, would I read it?”

“I guess not. Are you doing research for your case?”

Weiss places the report on the granite countertop.  
“And why would I need to do that?”

_Uh oh. Walked into that one. Think, Ruby, think!_

“Oh...well...ah….to…..umm…. speed up the healing process!”

“Ruby, I’m not an idiot. I didn’t have another MRI scheduled this month, and to top it all off Winter only comes if something is wrong. What’s going on.”

Ruby stares at Weiss. She can hear the tone in Weiss’s voice. She can see the frustration in her eyes. So Ruby caves.

“They think the damage is worse than they originally thought. We find out today.”

Weiss just looks at her. Ruby can feel the tears in her eyes. 

“Weiss...I’m so sorry. I-”

Weiss lunges forward, wrapping Ruby in a tight embrace. Ruby sobs into her shoulder. 

“Shut up you dolt. I don’t want to hear it. You’re here now and that’s all that matters. As long as you're here I’ll be okay.”

Ruby holds on tighter. She hears Weiss sigh. She knows Weiss is relying on her to be strong.

_I have to be strong. For Weiss._

And for some reason, being in Weiss’s arms makes Ruby forget about the world.

* * *

Weiss knows it’s probably a mistake. Keeping Ruby around is going to be torture. The incident this morning proved it, but maybe, just maybe, it will be worth it. Winter had picked them up this morning and is taking them all to the physical therapy office. Weiss glances over at Ruby, who is staring pensively out the window. The car ride had been exceptionally quiet, just the sounds of the road and engine filling the car. Weiss can feel the tension in the air. It all rests on this. Weiss feels something on her hand and whips around to see Ruby holding it. Ruby gives her a soft reassuring smile. 

_Fuck. This is going to be hell._

* * *

Winter circles the parking lot again, finally finding a spot she considers suitable. Ruby practically jumps out of the car to help Weiss out. Ruby keeps her hand on Weiss’s back to help her balance, but Weiss isn’t complaining. Myra meets them at the door and escorts them into her office. She says something, but Weiss can’t hear over the sound of her heart pounding in her ears. Myra gestures to a chair in front of her desk, and Weiss finally gets the cue. Her head is spinning. Ruby and Winter sit beside her. 

Myra pulls up pictures on the monitor above her desk. To Weiss, they look like white and black smudges. Ruby seems just as confused, but Winter seems more concerned. 

“This is your spine,” Myra says circling her mouse around one of the images. Winter nods.

“That dark line is where we did the surgery.”

Weiss swallows heavily. Myra sighs and clasps her hands together.

_Oh no._

“I’m going to be frank. It’s not good. The imaging shows us that your spine never fully healed. The muscles in your legs were never the problem. They aren’t getting strong enough signals.”

Myra keeps talking but Weiss’s hearing goes to static. Her mind is empty. Devoid of feeling. Numb. She’s shaking. She might pass out again.

A familiar feeling cuts through her clouded mind. Ruby’s hand in hers. A feeling welcomed in times of distress and joy. 

“Ms. Schnee. I need you here with us to talk about further treatments.”

Weiss looks into Myra’s eyes. She’s not here. She’s floating away. Ruby is the only thing keeping her anchored to the ground. She won’t be where she needs to be, but she can pretend. 

“Okay.”

“Weiss.” 

It’s Winter this time. She turns to her. Weiss can see she’s fried. Something only she can tell.

“Please.”

Her voice cracks. Her hand is shaking again. Myra clears her throat and continues.

“There is an experimental treatment. They implant a transmitter above the damage which connects with braces on the outside of your legs. Hypothetically, your legs return to full function. There are incredible risks operating that close to the spinal cord. You could become paralyzed or even die.”

“Will it let me hunt again?”

“With time, I don’t see why not.”

“I’ll do it.”

“What?!” Winter interjects turning, again, towards Weiss. 

“You can’t make irrational decisions like this! You need to think about the consequences.” She grabs Weiss’s shoulder.

“Winter, I can make decisions for myself. I want to hunt. If this lets me hunt then I’m willing to die trying.”

“You’re my sister! My only real family left.” She tightens her grip on Weiss.

“I can’t lose you.” 

There are tears in Winter’s eyes. Weiss has never seen her sister cry. 

“I can’t lose you.”

Weiss tightens her grip on Ruby’s hand. 

“Are there any other options?” she asks, never taking her eyes off her sister.

“We could try to remove the scar tissue, but that wouldn’t improve much. We could do nothing. You're in no life-threatening risk.”

“I... need a minute.” 

Weiss leaves the room as fast as possible.

* * *

Weiss sits alone out in the cold Atlesian air. She found herself in the same courtyard where she and Ruby officially reunited the day before. The sky is gray and heavy. It will definitely snow soon. Weiss is burdened by the decision she has to make. Does she choose the path of least resistance and lose her ability to ever be able to hunt again? Does she take the route of the surgery and risk death for a chance to risk death? She hears the door behind her open. 

“Ruby, I just need to be alone for a minute.”

 

“Weiss, we need to talk.”

She jerks around to see it’s her sister who has run off after her. Winter walks over to sit next to Weiss on the bench.

“I know I’m bad at showing it, but I really do care about you. Mother is an empty husk, Father is a bastard, and Whitley is not far behind him. You are all I have left.”

Weiss stares at her. This is uncommon. Winter was always the perfect Schnee, devoid of pesky emotions, but now it seems it was never true.

“I...know you want to hunt. I know you want normalcy, but, to be honest, I’m afraid.”

“Winter...I-I’m sorry. It’s my fault that this situation came to be.”

“No, it’s not! I shouldn’t have let you convince me that you could do the mission alone.”

“Winter, it’s truly my fault. I got distracted.”

“By what?! Would could distract you during a mission? A Grimm with a hat?”

Weiss turns bright red. 

_Shit._

“Weiss, I’m serious. What?”

Weiss mumbles into her chest.

“Ruby.”

“What?”

“Nothing.”

“You clearly said a name. Who could possibly distract in the middle of the woods on a mission? Were you thinking about father?”

“No...I...Ruby...I said Ruby.”

“That red girl.”

 

“Yes.”

Winter leans back on the bench. She narrows her eyes.

“Why?”

“I-”

Weiss drops her head in her hands. She has two options: tell the truth or lie. What’s worse Winter hating her for falling in love with a girl, Ruby at that, or Winter finding out she lied? Weiss needs to make the right choice. She needs to get this weight off her chest.

“I think I’m in love with her.”

“Oh.”

Weiss buries her head deeper into her hands, cutting out the light. 

_Winter hates me. She totally hates me._

“Does she know?”

Weiss looks up at her. She is staring blankly into the distance.

“What?”

“That you love her.”

“I...I don’t think so.”

“That won’t make living with her easy.”

The first snowflakes of the incoming storm start to fall. Winter catches one on her hand and watches it melt.

“Whatever decision you make regarding the treatment I’ll support. We have to talk more about the other thing. I have to return to the base. Call me.”

Winter leaves leaving Weiss alone in the snow.

* * *

Weiss busts back into Myra’s office. 

“I’ve made my decision.”

“Where is Winter?” Ruby asks innocently.

“She had business to attend to. Myra, I’d like to go forward with the experimental treatment. 

“All right. We should discuss the procedure further. Have a seat.”

No going back now.

* * *

“So, if Winter left, how do we get back to your apartment?” 

Ruby and Weiss are sitting in the lobby. Myra talked for an hour about the surgery. Weiss can’t strain her back. She can’t eat or drink on the day of the surgery. No alcohol and things of that nature. Ruby decided to stay just to be supportive, understanding nothing Myra was saying. 

“I’m calling Klein to pick us up.”

“Okay.”

Weiss had been quiet and less herself since her conversation with Winter. She was acting weird. Ruby decided not to push it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for bearing with me while I update these chapters. Let me know what you think! Also if you see any errors let me know. :)


End file.
